Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-04-22
INTERSTATE COMMISSION.
A General Resume of What That Body
Can do-Important Decisions.
Petitions for Advice Made to the Com
mission by the Order of Railroad
Conductors and the Travellers
Union.

WASHINGTON, April Is.-The following
embodies by far the most important ac-
tion yet taken by the interstate COM
merce commission. The immediate mat
ters selected to which are appended the
opinions of the commission only affect
the interest of limited classes; but the
opinions themselves cover in important
respects, interpretations of the interstate
commerce law and determinations re-
specting the extent of the powers with
which the commission deems itself
charged; and, it is proved by the i'm,
mense correspondence of the commission,
are of interest to almost svery branch of
trade or commerce in the land. The fol-
lowing is the text of the ruling:
"In the matter of the petition of the
Order of Railway Conductors.
"In the matter of the petition of the
Traders and Travellers union.
'Ar application in writing has been
made to the commission for its answer to
the following questions, propounded on
behalf of the Order of Railroad Conduc-
tors:
81. Are the railway companies prohib-
tied from issuing free transportation to
the immediate families CT employees of
their own railways?
"2. Are railway companies prohibited
from issuing free or reduced transporta-
tion to officers of associations composed
of railway employees, while
those officers are temporarily out of rail
way service and exclusively employed by
those associations!
''3. May railway eompaaies issue free
10 af oh
the application of the EN- ploye, or must
the company by which he is employed?
"4. May railway companies issue free
or reduced transportation to those who
make railway service their business or
trade, while temporarily out of employ
ment and in search of situations?
''5. May railway companies provide
free transportation for delegates to the
annual conventions of any associations
composed exclusively of railway en-
ployes, upon certificates from the officers
of the association that they are such
SO. If free transportation may be fur
nished to the representatives described
in question, must all such representatives
be actually in the employ of some rail-
way or may it include those who may be
engaged in other employ
ment as officer of such association?
81. If free transportation is provid-
ed for delegates described in question 5,
may it include members of the immedi-
ate families of delegates?
SO. If free transportation or reduced
rates are provided for the representa-
tives of any one association must the
same extend to allaothers which are COM
posed exclusively of railway employees on
"Another petition has been made to the
on behalf of the Traders
and Travellers union stating the system
under which an additional allowance of
free baggage has been heretofore carried
by commercial tray.lers, subject to writ
ten agreement for reg istry and indemni-
fcation, which system the commission is
requested to examine carefully and ad-
wise if there is any reason why railroad
desiring to do so should not en-
ter into such an arrangement to grant
under stated terms an increased allowance
of free baggage.
THE REPLY.
These two petitions, presented by
highly respectable organizations and rails
ing questions of immediate practical i'm
portance as representatives of a large
number of similar applications which
have been made to the commission for its
construction of provisions of the act to
regulate commerce as applied to the var
ious points at which these provisions
touch the customs of the past. They
have been selected simply as they indi.
cate the general character of all, and en-
able the commission to announce certain
conclusions to which it has arrived re-
specting its jurisdiction and its powers.
1t is obvious from the tenor of such ap
plications as these, which reach us by
every mail, that the impression is gener-
ally prevalent that this commission has
power to construe, interpret and apply
the law, by preliminary judgment. We
are continually appealed to for decisions
in advance as to whether common carriers
said to be willing to adopt certain
methods of dealing with respect to inter
state commerce, can do so, without sub
jecting themselves to the penalties pro
vided by the statute for violating its pro-
visions.
"A careful reading of the Act to Regu-
sion is organized, will show to the petit
and others who have made SINH
lar applications that no jurisdiction has
been given us to answer, questions like
those under consideration. An express
sion of our opinion upon these subjects
at this time, being neither duty impos
ed nor power conferred by the statute,
would carry with it do judicial efficacy or
sanction; in fact, would be no more useful
than the opinion of other men upon the
same points.
1.-TWO sections of the law confer power
upon the commission to entertain and de-
eide application and petitions. Section
1 empowers US upon application by a
common carrier to authorize such com
mon carrier in special casts to charge
less Tor longer than for shorter distances,
over The same line; and also to describe
the extent of relief from the operation
of the former part of the same section
which q designated common carrier may
from time to time enjoy. A large num-
Der of petitions have been filed under
this section, the consideration of which is
at this time engaging the attention of
the commission and nothing said in this
opinion is to be treated as in any manner
bearing thereon. 1t is obvious that ap-
plication like those of the railway con-
ductors and the Traders and Travellers
union have no relation whatever TO the
duties imposed upon us by section 4.
And this is the only section of the law
which the commission has power to SIS
pend or relax.
CoMPLAINTS-
Section 13 authorizes complaints to
the commission and confers jurisdiction
to entertain the same. 1t provides that
any person complaining of anything
done or omitted to be done by any com
mon carrier, subject to the provision of
this act in conrrsvention of the pro
visions thereof, may apply to said com
mission which shall briefly state the facts,
notice and opportunity for answer hav-
ing been given. Unless satisfaction is
made an investigation is required. Upon
such an investigation the commission will
necessarily entertain the consideration of
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